Shameful Sinners
by xPaparazzixChickx
Summary: Love has so very often been compared to that of a battlefield, with your heart constantly in danger and the adrenaline coursing through your veins. Thankfully, Velvet Sky learned early on that all was fair in love and war.
1. Repeated Love Song

**Author's Note -** 'Ello :) Back with a new story, evidently, and hoping to go about things with an entirely different spin. Uhm, I actually do hope you guys like this one, since it's been a long while since I've tried to write an actual story - and I know, _In His Shoes_ and _Behind Those Eyes_ have been on a **major** hiatus since the dawn of time. :/ Oops. But, please, let me know if it's good or not. I'd surely hope so xD

* * *

_**- Chapter One -  
**_

_Repeated Love Song_

Perhaps Sean Kingston said it best when he belted out the all-too true lyrics of _"We're real worldwide, breakin' all the rules. She like a song played again and again,"_ from his hit duet with Iyaz, _"Replay"_.

But still, the elegance of the one and only Velvet Sky wouldn't ever dare to admit such a scandalous observation. She had been in the throes of love only once before, and it had ended in a disaster she never dared to speak of again. Thus, she had vowed to never allow such a feeling of vulnerability to overcome her ever again.

And yet, it had.

But certainly not by choice. After all, what woman in the right mind wouldn't succumb to his brooding ways? The man was perfectly endearing in almost every way; his willingness to allow her to govern her own life whilst clashing it with his, his desire to keep her perfectly happy whilst not letting her return to her spoiled ways around him. Of course it was mind-boggling how someone would be able to say "no" to someone such as her, but that certainly didn't mean she loathed it. In a way, it added to his appeal. Really, men who allowed women to walk all over them were SO last century.

And anyone who knew the voluptuous Velvet Sky knew she never settled for anything that was out of style.

"Ohmahgawd, _please_ tell me you're not _seriously_ wearing that out there?" The high-pitched, nasally voice that could only belong to the supposedly 'deported' Angelina Love rang out across the vanilla-scented air of the TNA Knockouts' locker room. Upon cue, all eyes within the room lifted to glance at the platinum beauty, even as she practically sauntered over towards one of the faces she had remembered. "Sweetheart, I know you're depressed and all since I was _replaced_, but still, you mustn't let yourself go. I mean, I think I'm already starting to see... uhm, some _advancements_, if you know what I'm talking about."

A peculiar, perfectly waxed eyebrow raising in disgust, Angelina shook her perfectly curled locks of hair back over her slender shoulder. The woman in question, none other than Taylor Wilde, simply scowled back, not choosing to play nice upon this particular evening.

"And to think I seemed to believe that TNA couldn't get any more pathetic after hiring Lacey... silly me." The tiny blonde shrugged her shoulders in a faux apology, shifting her gaze back towards the mirror before her. Almost instantly, Sarita engaged her into another conversation, effectively blocking out the nuisance that was Angelina.

But even so, the returning Knockout turned up her nose and strut off towards the Beautiful People's station, somewhat perplexed at the audacity of the pair, yet not bothering to show it. Instead, she bore that wide grin across her luscious lips, hazel-gray eyes shining as she spoke up, "Kiss, kiss!"

Instantaneously, Velvet Sky let out a squeal of delight upon spotting her best friend, bouncing on the heels of her black Jimmy Choo pumps. Her gloved palms reached out to grasp at Angelina's bare ones, allowing the taller blonde to join in on the small reunion.

"I _totally_ knew they wouldn't be stupid enough to let you leave for good. Ohmygosh, I'm so happy!" And it was true, honestly. The Beautiful People just simply wasn't complete without their dosage of Love, and if anyone had felt the bitter effects of Angelina's departure, it was Velvet. The pair had practically been attached at the hip. For Angelina to have been fired over such a petty thing such as an expired Visa, it was as if Velvet had chopped off her own leg.

And that was something she would _never_ do. That was just gross.

"Angie!" Another sharp sound of excitement bubbled within the Knockouts' locker room as Madison Rayne made her return from helping Lacey Von Erich retrieve her items from her car. In a flash, the petite blonde followed Velvet's antics and began bouncing on the tall heels of her Prada boots. The entire scene almost seemed to come straight from a movie itself, what with the lead heroine returning after a disastrous departure. Well, almost.

"Aren't you supposed to be in, like, Kansas by now?"

All three members of the original Beautiful People peeped up from their tiny family-reunion. As expected, only one of them regretted performing such a task.

"Uh, it's CANADA, genius. And no, TNA worked out all of my issues, so you can just run right along, Dorothy." An obviously forced placid smile worked at the corners of Angelina's thick lips, innocence almost radiating off of her tanned features.

"Obviously they didn't work out _all_ of them." The grumble passed the glossy exterior of Lacey's lips before she could stop herself. But nonetheless, she stood before the trio, slender arms folded neatly beneath her ample chest, those hazel-blue eyes not showing the slightest inclination of amusement nor joy.

"Oh Lace, lighten up some. I mean, I'm sure TNA's not going to replace you with the person you were replacing, 'cause that's just... confusing. 'Cause you'd totally have to be all 'Hi, I'm Lacey and I was replaced by Angelina Love, who I was replacing but--'"

"Madison, shut up." The tiny blonde's half-lit good intention was cut short by Lacey's sharp bark, the leggy blonde growing more and more disdainful of the entire situation by the second. Still scowling over at the returning Angelina, Lacey simply stepped forth in her tall boots, easily towering over the platinum beauty before her. "Angie, I'd suggest you keep everything packed inside that knock-off suitcase of yours. TNA didn't hesitate to fire you once, they certainly won't hesitate to do it again. You're nothing more than an interchangeable part of this company. Everyone knows that Angelina Love is a cassette player and I am the newest version of the iTouch. iTouches keep improving. Technology gets better and better. Cassettes are collecting dust."

On that supposedly bone-chilling note, Lacey spun around on her heel and allowed her perfectly straightened locks of hair smack Angelina square in the face, practically stalking out of the locker room. All three women left in her wake blinked almost simultaneously, each individually lost on what in the hell just happened there. Angelina, if anything, seemed the most stunned at the rude welcoming back, sputtering out stray hairs left in her gloss from the mop upon Lacey's head as Velvet tried to soothe her tension.

"Madison, Velvet, _come_." Lacey's voice echoed down the hallway not a moment later, though none seemed genuinely surprised. Repressing a sigh, Velvet rolled her dark eyes upwards towards the ceiling.

"If we didn't have to go out there, you know I wouldn't leave you alone like this. I hate it that we're just getting--"

"_Now_."

Cringing, Velvet stopped herself short, obviously not willing to deal with Lacey's wrath at the current moment. Angelina, however, simply forced a smile upon her facial features, reaching out to grab her two friends in a tight hug, "Don't worry about it. Just meet me after the show and we can catch up."

Seeing as that was as good of an answer as they could possibly get, Velvet and Madison both nodded energetically, bidding their farewells to the platinum beauty before them. Raking her manicured fingers through her two-toned locks of hair and glancing in the mirror a final time, Velvet was the first to make her grand exit out of the locker room, linking arms with Madison to further give off that appearance of 'unity' within the Beautiful People.

Please, this was simply the beginning of the end for the long-lasting trio and everyone knew it.

* * *

Thankfully the rest of the night seemed to fly by without any incident, for Lacey and Angelina made sure to stay rather far from each other. After the taping of iMPACT!, Lacey ventured off after mumbling something about remembering plans she had made prior to this evening. But neither Velvet nor Madison paid her any mind. After all, they already had their own plans for tonight, none of which included Lacey.

Shifting her dark eyes down towards the French Manicure design upon her long fingernails, Velvet huffed a small breath of air, listening with half a mind to the conversation Madison was trying to engage her in. Truth be told, her mind wasn't even in the same room as her body at the moment. Instead, she found herself growing more and more anxious about her plans, hence why she continually shifted her weight from one heeled foot to the next, restless at best.

This had often been the routine everytime she found the opportunity. Plans with the girls would get canceled for some bullshit reason and she'd find it within her heart to instead sneak off to meet up with the man constantly on her mind. She wasn't sure why she couldn't stop thinking about him, and part of her wasn't willing to figure that reason out. Honestly, she was scared shitless. But that also exhilarated her.

And of course no other member of the roster would be able to understand, or even KNOW about, the secret rendezvous she found herself caught up in. For whatever reason, she hadn't the slightest clue. All Velvet knew was that he enjoyed keeping things a secret, and in some perverse way she didn't necessarily mind all that much. But it still stung a bit.

"Dayum, someone's looking to get laid tonight." A small giggle ruptured Velvet's private thoughts, causing the blonde to cast her glance over at Angelina's new appearance. Clad in simply a tiny black and white striped skirt chopped at all the right angles to show off her curvaceous thighs, designer knee-high heeled boots and a simple form-fitting tank top, Angelina looked as stunning as ever. Hell, she almost looked just as she had when she first left months ago. But that wasn't really what the focus of the conversation was. Instead, both Angelina and Madison were glancing over Velvet's outfit, both with eyes of intrigue.

Still, she offered a tiny, nonchalant shrug. "Please, it's not like any of us have to ask for it, the guys just keep lining up." That smile brimming her berry-colored lips, Velvet masked her private insecurities for the evening. Brushing her soft palms against the rough material of her teeny tiny blue jean mini skirt, she glanced up at her reflection in the vanity-mirror. True, she _did_ look a little on the trampy side, especially with her voluptuous cleavage being shown off to such a tee in that rose-pink cropped top of hers, but she wasn't about to change now. Really, _he_ loved her body, so why hide it?

"Things certainly haven't changed. Still humble as always, I see." Angelina chuckled warmly under her breath, a chuckle that Velvet realized she missed far too much. Seriously, Lacey always sounded so fake. You'd think with that sort of wealth, her father would've bought her an acting coach or two, right? "Anyway, you two ready? I already promised three _delicious_ hunks--"

"Sorry, can't. I _totally_ forgot about plans I made earlier. Can I take a rain-check?" Velvet found herself speaking up before Angelina had even finished. Blankly, the taller of the pair blinked.

"...Erm, what?"

"Ohmygosh, that's so weird how like, Lacey had other plans and you have other plans. Was I supposed to have other plans too?" Madison also blinked, mimicking Angelina's actions, but both of the other two ignored her. Instead, Velvet reached up to fluff up the back of her two-toned hair, echoing a realistically soft pout across her plump lips.

"I'm seriously really sorry, but I'll totally make it up to you, I promise." As if it would further convince Angelina, she threw her arms around her in a tight hug. The hug seemed to work, though, as Angelina's shoulders slumped down and she let out a small sigh.

"Yeah, you better, bitch."

Bearing that pout all the more, Velvet pulled away from her friend, stepping back a foot or two, "You two just try not to get into all that much trouble while I'm gone. You won't even notice I'm missing, watch. Have fun, though!" Carelessly, she was met with sulken nods. However, now wasn't the time to wallow within pity for her friends, for they'd be fine without her. Now was the time to focus on her and what she wanted.

And what she wanted was a goddamn stress-free evening. But that was highly out of the question.

* * *

Three-inch heeled stilettos leading her down the winding hall of the luxury hotel, cleverly dubbed as the Renaissance Elegance, Velvet nervously ran her moist tongue across the soft surface of her thick lips. Throughout her travel to her destination for the evening, her heart had pounded inside the cavity of her ample chest, leading the woman to look less put together than she would've liked. But she still managed to wash that look of confidence across her tanned complexion, those brown orbs flickering upwards at the number etched across the door frame. A quick glance back down at the digital numbers in her phone certified her confidence in her number matching, and without hesitation she slipped the phone back into the depths of her Juicy Couture handbag.

Then, exhaling a warm breath of air, she raised a fist up towards the door, rapping her knuckles against the smooth surface but only once. All the while, she glanced up and down the hall, triple checking to make sure absolutely no one else's beady eyes were scrutinizing the odd behavior of the woman. When she was absolutely certain that they weren't, she finally fixated her full attention on the view before her, just in time to acknowledge the fact that the door had been opened, and standing there before her was none other than the man she'd been waiting for.

Instantaneously, that broad grin threatened to tug at the corners of her glossy lips, but instead, all she did was flash that coy smile. Already, those panicked brown orbs took to a more seductive approach, the thick black lashes batting innocently.

"Room service?" Velvet allowed her voice to lower itself to a throaty degree, her words oozing past her luscious lips. The larger man simply allowed a faint chuckle to escape his throat, even as he leaned forward to place a gentle kiss against her mouth, nothing placid about it.

The pair had been meeting like this for a good while now; he assumed it to be but only a year, while Velvet knew in her heart that it was exactly one year and fifty-three days. They had originally met around two years ago, with him previously having gone after Angelina. But when his advancements were met with nothing but hang ups and ignored texts, he sent his sights elsewhere. Somewhere along the road, Velvet had appeared upon his radar.

Naturally, he had her within an instant, although she'd never openly admit just how much she needed him. He had that mysterious aura about him, that seductive charm laced within the calm of his voice. And don't even get her started on his incomparable good looks. As of late December, the pair had been inseparable, with many classifying them as a couple, despite his vain attempts to say otherwise.

Velvet couldn't say for sure as to why he didn't want everyone to know about them, but she knew in her heart that he cared for her just as much as she did him. It just had to be a guy thing, right?

Flicking those bouncy two-toned locks of hair back across her shoulder, the scantily-clad Knockout dropped her handbag to the bed's plush surface. In an instant, she had returned to his side, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her curvy form up against his larger mass.

"How've you been, darling?" Tilting her head back, she peered up into his dark eyes. Honestly, she would give absolutely anything to be able to read his mind and to understand how he worked. But as for now, she'd have to settle for vague assumptions, and whatever else he offered her.

"Decent enough, nothing worth bragging over. And yourself?" A simple shrug sufficed his lame answer, his own arms working their way around her waist, drawing her closer to him.

"Meh, Angie's back, and Lacey's, like, mad upset over it and -" There, she paused in what would've soon become a winding story full of exaggeration. Instead, she had let her pretty pink mouth pop open absently, those wide eyes having lowered themselves to his neck; the same place a not-so subtle mark resided. For a split second, time seemed to come to a standstill, with her freezing in his muscular embrace, visibly shaken, yet unwilling to admit that much. Again, her heart beat's rate began to increase, and she flicked that gaze back up towards his face, "Who was she."

"Who was who?" He blinked, that puzzled expression crossing his face as she finally detangled herself from his grasp. Biting down on the inside of her cheek, Velvet jut her chin in his general direction, those eyes again locking on the ugly hickey glaring back at her.

"I'm not blind."

"I never said you were...?" All the more, he continued to blink, an arched eyebrow hidden beneath the shaggy layers of his dark hair. Velvet, however, let out a scoff at this, swallowing her pride fiercely, allowing those eyes to glare those daggers at him.

"Then why did you think I wouldn't notice the fact that someone was obviously all over you? If you were going to cheat, you should've been smart about it, really. I'm not an idiot, your friend's leftovers are right in front of my eyes!" Outraged, she pointed an accusatory finger in the direction of the hickey, her voice taking a liking to an octave higher than she was used to. Glued to that position, Velvet returned to chewing on the inside of her cheek, forcing herself quiet before she said anything irrational.

"Oh please, there's nothing to 'cheat' on if we're not actually together. Besides, it was completely in-character. Dixie wants to give me a new edge, and well, it involves me finally getting myself a manager around these parts." He paused in his rebuttal, glancing over at Velvet's furious figure, piecing together what he wanted to say next. "And you're the _last_ person to be getting all pissy over what I have to do to keep my job."

"And what's that supposed to mean?!" Her voice came out strained, almost whiny, as she crossed her arms stubbornly beneath her ample chest, almost daring him to continue onwards.

"Like hell you don't know," Spitting out the words venomously, he rolled his eyes, "You're the one shaking your ass for the crowd week in and week out dressed like a cheap whore, and you don't see me getting all upset and insecure about us."

And that was where she absolutely lost it. Again, her mouth fell open, more so in hurt than surprise. He knew she wasn't all that fond of being labeled as nothing more than eye-candy, and for him to have sunk to that level was just atrocious.

Besides, she knew a hell of a lot more information than he thought she did. She knew for a fact Dixie was out of town at the moment and that her sole focus was on the main event guys, not him. That hickey belonged to the lips of some random lurker he had sunk his claws into, not someone molded into a storyline manager.

Locking those dark eyes on his own mysterious pair, she mustered up the courage to speak, "How does that justify you hooking up with some random girl!?"

"I don't see what you're getting all bent out of shape about. She means nothing to me in or out of the storyline. Are you really going to ruin tonight because of some assumption you worked out in your mind?" He let out a bitter scoff, crossing his arms across his chest stiffly and arching an eyebrow expectantly. Velvet paused in her movements, those eyes seething with rage.

"I have to go." Spinning on the heel of her shoe, she grabbed at her purse, viciously tearing it off of the bedspread and storming her way past the man. Yet again, he had managed to absolutely _destroy_ another night because of his ridiculous ways. Her favorite attempts to describe him were belligerent at best, wishy-washy at worst.

But still. Relationships were never meant to be this difficult. They should never take such a toll on one's emotions. So why did this one have to? How come out of everyone in the world, _she_ was the one with the complications left and right? It really wasn't fair, but she knew she'd never want anything else. Truthfully, regardless of how pathetic it seemed, she'd rather be absolutely miserable with him than to be happy with anyone else.

It was all just one vicious cycle; a cycle she knew wouldn't end anytime soon, even if she would give absolutely anything for it to.

* * *

**Ending Note**** -** So, yeah. Tada? xD Basically, if you guys want the story to continue, leave a fancy little review, por favor. Thank you! And I so totally know I'm forgetting to mention something else, but bah.


	2. Topsy-Turvy

**Author's Note -** Okay, wow. I know it's been... three years... since this story was even published - but I wanted to give another go at it - and I swear it will not take me that long to update it again, because that's just embarrassing, haha

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_**- Chapter Two -**_

_Topsy-Turvy_

A vacant sigh managed to pass through Velvet's bare lips, her dark eyes emptily staring into her own reflection. Last night had ended just as terribly as it had begun; instead of doing the responsible thing and calling up Angelina and Madison, she had instead opted to head home early and take her frustrations out on her liquor cabinet – a choice she was still regretting hours later. Reluctantly, the blonde tore her gaze away from herself, shifting in her seat inside the Knockouts' group locker room and raising a single hand up towards her temple, pressing her fingertips against the tanned skin there in an attempt to ease her pounding migraine.

"Evening, ladies!" The all-too notoriously high-pitched squeal emitted from Lacey's vocal cavity before anyone could stop it. Instantly the only other Knockout in the room, Taylor Wilde, mumbled some sort of complaint and made her disappearance, leaving the space open to the two reigning Beautiful People members. Upon noticing her partner's appearance, Lacey's face scrunched downwards, crinkling in disgust, "Uhm, ew. Vel – you look like shit."

For once Velvet found herself actually agreeing with the narcissistic woman. A lack of sleep and even more noticeable lack of makeup was all it took to really screw around with the seemingly perfect features of Velvet. Regardless, she let out a halfhearted laugh, raising her hand to dismiss Lacey's insult with a wave.

"Happens to the best of us sometimes." That soft smile playing across her mouth as if she were debating on revealing more of an excuse, Velvet took to finally standing up, deciding it was about damn time she focused on looking good for tonight's show instead of wallowing in her own pity party. Lacey quirked an eyebrow, instantly placing her form in the seat Velvet had just vacated. Her expression seemed to lean more towards doubt at the idea of herself ever looking that terrible, but thankfully she kept quiet for once, instead focusing on her new manicure.

Unfortunately the silence wasn't able to last for long, as just as Velvet managed to coat her face in her favorite bronzer, the remaining members of their little group wandered into the dressing room, both animatedly active in some conversation about last night's events. Once again, the headache found itself warming Velvet's head, disabling her from focusing on her makeup. Another sigh escaped as she dropped the brush back down to the counter, spinning around so that she could face the loud duo behind her.

"I'm gonna go grab a drink, anyone want anything?"

Almost as if they were running on the same system, both Angelina and Madison shook their heads at Velvet's offer, still very much so involved in their little trip down memory lane. Lacey, however, peeked back up with a wide grin.

"Oh! Get me an iced nonfat caramel Macchiatto, with extra caramel and sugar free vanilla." Even as she spoke, her tone raised an octave higher in delight at the mere thought of the drink. Velvet found herself blinking, staring at the leggy blonde in utter confusion as both Angelina and Madison stopped in their ramblings. It was Angelina who was the first to follow the silence, a snort of disgust escaping as she replied.

"She meant from the cafeteria, you dumbass." Angelina crossed her arms beneath her ample chest, quirking a eyebrow as if to dare Lacey into retorting. Lacey merely scowled back through the reflection in the mirror, gritting her teeth together. A moment passed before she reached up to flick her long, perfectly straightened locks of hair back over her thin shoulder.

"It was a joke, jeeze. You might want to remember that you're not in Canada anymore, so you don't have to be so _cold_ to everybody anymore." Lacey let out a giggle at her corny joke, even as she continued to act completely enamored by her own appearance, fluffing up her hair and pouting her lips seductively. Angelina clenched her fists – an act that would've furthered, had Madison not smacked the blonde's hand in an attempt to persuade her from going through with a fist fight. Velvet shook her head and turned on her heel, assuming she was free to abandon the situation. My God she needed some Ibuprofen.

* * *

Reaching up to rub her sweaty palm against the back of her neck, Velvet chewed on the inside of her cheek, knowing what a bad habit it was, but also being unable to control herself. The cafeteria was probably one of the worst places she could've chosen to come for a multitude of reasons – on one end of the spectrum you had the whole noise and headache issue, and on the other end you had the possibility of an awkward encounter that she still wasn't entirely ready to deal with. After all, what was she supposed to be feeling right now? Shame - for pretty much accusing him of not caring about her? Betrayal - for the actions that had taken place prior to their meting? Maybe she should try feeling happy and grateful and pretend that last night never even occurred.

Ugh. The blonde finally opened her eyes, having closed them in some attempt to ease her stomach. She unscrewed the plastic cap upon her water bottle, raising the container up to her dry lips and tilting it so just the right amount of liquid poured into her mouth. As she swallowed, she lowered the water bottle back down, curiously allowing her eyes to sweep the room. It remained fairly empty, surprisingly, but still, every single person's conversation bounced off the old brick walls as if they were in some sort of never ending cave. Nonetheless, she supposed she should've found a friend to accompany her, as the whole flying-solo-loner idea never really appealed to her – and sitting alone at a table was über tacky.

Yet that was what she found herself doing – sitting alone, watching the rest of the world go on with their joyous lives. Crossing one thigh over the other, Velvet began smoothing out any imaginary crinkles in her skin-tight jeans, still very much so chewing on the inside of her cheek, leading to the entrance of a new sore sitting there. She should've stopped searching the room five minutes ago – she really should've – but the curiosity was too much to bear, even as the lone idea of even witnessing his presence brought about all sorts of symptoms that she was pretty sure coincided with an anxiety attack.

What the hell was with this craziness. Seriously, she shouldn't be the one fretting over petty emotions and finding herself as a hot mess over one boy. She made thousands of men fall for her without difficult every time she appeared on television – so why did this one person have to be so different? Why did he have to matter so much?

Almost as if she were in her own movie full of joyous coincidences and perfectly timed entrances, she found herself able to answer her own question as her eyes finally found his from across the room. Oh God, she hoped he hadn't been watching her this entire time. Instantly her heart found itself racing inside the cavity of her chest, beads of sweat forming out of the nerves within her. All at once her stomach felt heavy as if she were about to regurgitate, yet light as if she hadn't eaten in weeks.

It was a sad, twisted feeling that should not be happening to her. Unable to help herself, Velvet found herself staring directly into his gaze, frozen in time and place.

He was getting up. Oh, no. No, no, no, no – this wasn't good. Using the utmost strength she could muster, Velvet found herself prying her eyes from his, flickering her dark gaze towards the cheap, wooden table before her and staring holes through the surface. She knew it seemed childish and immature, but what else was she supposed to do? She still hadn't figured out where exactly she stood with him, but then again maybe that was her own fault for sticking around the cafeteria for so long. It wasn't like he didn't acknowledge her at all in public - they _were_ friends, after all.

"Are you okay?" Before she even knew it, he was by her side, sitting directly next to her, talking to her. Despite the inner turmoil going on, the blonde managed to force a bright smile across her lips, turning to face him as if he were nothing more than a concerned friend – which, really, that was all he was.

"Oh, yeah. Just didn't catch much sleep, so I feel sort of out of whack. No big deal." She shrugged her thin shoulders emptily, even as a laugh wound its way into the conversation. He scrunched up his face, almost as if he were scrutinizing her, but didn't press any further. Instead, he frowned, still keeping his dark gaze locked upon her.

"Look, I just wanted to apologize for last night. I had no right to snap at you – whatever you think happened, it's over and I want to move on from it. You deserve better than that."

What? For the briefest of moments, Velvet found herself once again frozen, trying to understand the words she was hearing. He was sorry? That never happened; usually she was the one who had to apologize for being a 'raging bitch'. Confusion coursing through her veins, she merely waved him off with her fingertips, another laugh echoing.

"Don't worry about a thing – we're all good." Even as she spoke, she nodded with her words, almost as if she were trying to convince herself. Upon hearing this news, that bright grin once again worked its way across his mouth.

"Promise?" Those dark brown eyes stared directly into her soul – or at least that was the way it felt.

"Promise."

The situation and emotions supposedly all figured out, the man leaned in closer to her, his lips and unshaven face brushing against the perfectly smooth complexion of her cheek as he went to whisper in her ear, "I love you." As soon as the words had left his mouth he stood up, his fingertips grazing against the warm flesh of her shoulder before he ultimately disappeared back towards his group of friends. Velvet found herself shivering, although she wasn't entirely sure why. It wasn't the first time they had uttered those words, but still they always found a way to enact some sort of emotional response from within her.

Inhaling a deep breath of air, Velvet finally forced herself to stand up, figuring she'd been gone for entirely too long. She wrapped her fingers around the cold plastic of her water bottle, dragging it along for the journey back to the Knockouts' locker room, where hopefully she wouldn't find either Lacey or Angelina dead in a pool of their own blood – although she'd sort of prefer the former scenario. Okay, maybe not _dead_ – but certainly knocked out for a few hours, perhaps.

* * *

Yet another taping of iMPACT! had gone off without a hitch – so long as you ignored the glaringly painful situation of Angelina being considered an arch-nemesis of The Beautiful People. Regardless, things could have been a whole lot worse and to be truthful, she was grateful to actually have someone who could work an angle as an opponent. Now all that was left to do for the evening was to relax and make up for lost time last night. Naturally, she had intentionally canceled plans with Angelina and Madison once again, feeding them some excuse that her hangover was actually some sort of twenty-four-hour-flu. She really didn't think Angelina believed her – an apparently on-going trend for the day – but the second she was given an out, Velvet found herself taking it, already en route to the very same hotel she had been in for a brief half hour last night.

Clearing her throat, the blonde brushed stray tendrils of hair out of her heavily made-up eyes, pressing her glossy lips together as she stopped just outside the overly familiar door. As was only natural, she glanced up and down the winding hallway for any suspicious eyes before rapping her knuckles against the door but only once – her signature move, as she'd like to believe.

Mere seconds later the door found itself swinging open, revealing that very same man as last time. Only difference was that now there was no awkward fight to be started – there was just her and him and this perfect evening. Wearing that same grin upon his face as earlier, the man pulled her into a tight embrace, easily lifting her off the carpeted ground and spinning her around, kicking the door closed with his foot. Velvet let out an excited giggle at his actions, her arms firmly wrapped around his neck as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his shoulder and throat. Without warning he had led them back towards the bed, using his body weight to tumble them onto the cushioned surface, careful not to absolutely flatten the petite Knockout.

"You're late." He whispered into her ear, his hot breath tickling her skin. Velvet let out another giggle, squirming around so that he was now on his back, enabling her to cuddle up under his arm and place a soft kiss against his scratchy face.

"I got held up, I'm sorry." She draped her free arm across his chest, her razor sharp nails scratching at the soft material of his tee shirt. The man chuckled warmly, rolling his eyes up towards the ceiling before focusing his attention back on her, that smile still evident.

"Sorry's not good enough – I'm going to have to take the time I missed out of your work schedule." The lighthearted joke managed to make Velvet's mouth pop open in mock surprise and offense, and she raised a hand to lightly tap against his face as if she were slapping him. He found himself repeating her actions, even as another laugh escaped, the duo finally managing to appreciate the lighthearted moment encompassing them. Affectionately, he pulled her into a tighter hug, releasing a relaxed sigh and glancing at her facial features.

Neither of them spoke for a few seconds, merely enjoying the atmosphere and being together. Velvet found herself unable to tear that grin from her lips - it had been such a shitty day that it truly felt amazing to be able to smile without a care in the world, especially now that everything found itself all sorted out once again. She buried her face in his shoulder once more, inhaling the sweet aroma of his cologne and allowing the scent to waft throughout her form. It was childish to say, but he smelt like happiness. Almost as if he were waiting for a cue, the man raised a hand to lightly lay on the back of her head, running his fingers through her two-toned hair calmly.

"Come on, I picked out a great movie for us to watch tonight, don't go falling asleep on me just yet." He shrugged a shoulder in an attempt to pique her interest, his signature smirk radiating from his mouth. Velvet peeked her head back up, staring into his dark eyes hopefully.

"Is it a good movie?"

"Duh!" Was all he replied with, as if that were supposed to clarify every burning question Velvet could muster up. Rolling her eyes, the blonde allowed herself to fall over off of him as he slid off the bed, presumably to retrieve said movie. She lifted her legs up to herself, crossing them at the ankles so that she was sitting 'criss-cross-applesauce'-style. Just as she was about to find something else to say, he had returned, DVD in hand. Velvet squinted, straining her eyes to see the title that he was trying to hide from her.

"No way! We've watched this a hundred times!" Instantaneously, that pout of hers appeared, allowing her to droop her entire face in an ultimate act of looking depressed over the choice he had picked. The man mock gasped in offense, but waved the DVD in her face a moment later.

"Dude, this is like _our_ movie, so relax - it's perfect!" He shook his head at her as if she were a child and continued setting up the film. Velvet stopped pouting, instead glaring a hole through his back. When he had finished setting everything up, he returned to her side, eagerly bouncing on the bed and setting up his own perfect viewing spot by the pillows. Begrudgingly, Velvet followed suit, once again finding her place below his arm, wrapped safely by his warm body.

It was at that moment that he leaned down to plant a soft kiss upon her forehead, almost as if to reassure her of his love for her. Again, Velvet found that stupid grin reappearing, even as she snuggled closer to him. Sure, they had their rough patches, but what two people didn't? They had managed to solve every dilemma that had come their way - and all without having to put a label on what they had - although ninety percent of the time, the whole label issue was the problem. As the thought crossed her mind, Velvet found that smile fading. She wanted to be with him so bad, but no matter how many times she tried to persuade him into making them 'official', he never once actually considered the idea. Was there something wrong with her?

Of course not - there wasn't anything wrong with her. She was essentially perfect - or at least that was what she fed herself. Quietly, the blonde shook her head but once, trying her best to jam the intruding thoughts out of her mind so she could focus on the movie. There was no point in ruining this fantastic evening by depressing herself, that was for damn sure. Besides, regardless of where he stood on the whole 'relationship' issue, she knew exactly how she felt and that was never going to change.

She was, and would always be, head over heels in love with Alex Shelley.

* * *

**Ending Note - **There you go! I know nothing much really happened in this chapter, but I was kind of just testing out the waters to see if anyone was actually still interested, haha So please review. :]


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